In one of my childhood photos I am pictured in my family's backyard covered in mud. My mom said that I loved to get dirty. It's no wonder that I gravitated toward clay as my preferred artistic medium when I was attending college. After graduating with a liberal arts degree in Human Ecology, I thought I would make a living as a potter. As chance would have it, I worked as a landscaper the summer after graduation. There I was, back in the dirt, discovering a new medium and the art of landscape design.

I continued to work in the horticulture field and became a master gardener in 2002.

Gardening has become my passion. I experiment in our yard with plant combinations, theme gardens and various landscape materials. With a woodland garden, a pond, edible gardens, herbs, perennials, fruit trees, potted gardens and multiple outdoor living rooms, my yard is full of scenic spaces. I am fortunate that I get to do what I love every day and to bring my enthusiasm to my customers.

Of course, as excited and determined as I am, I can't do this alone. I work with an extremely talented crew. Not only are they kind, clean and considerate, customers often remark that they've never seen a crew work so hard.

Ryan Olson, my business partner and husband extraordinaire, is a third generation landscaper. Although his English degree from St. Olaf took his career in a different direction, he came to work for Scenic Spaces in 2006. He has an impressive eye for detail and oversees quality at every site. In addition, Ryan manages our staff, works on the crews, maintains equipment and oversees all operations. Ryan and I are passionate about what we do and you will see this when we are working at your home.